Girlfriends and Wives

A Wainscott man who complained during his arraignment on Friday that he had hurt his back sleeping in a holding cell at East Hampton Town Police headquarters the night before was still in jail as of yesterday morning, unable to post $500 bail.

Police took Christopher L. Metz, 38, into custody last Thursday, charging him with criminal contempt, a felony, for violating an order of protection granted to an ex-girlfriend last year. According to the report, he first threatened to “have people jump you and cut you,” then grabbed the woman’s cellphone to prevent her from calling police. He also faces lesser charges of criminal mischief and physical harassment.

“I didn’t do any of that,” Mr. Metz said as Justice Lisa R. Rana read out the charges. “This girl is just screwing me.”

“You know what, Chris,” Justice Rana responded. “Just cool it. You know enough at this point that anything you say can be used against you. Now, you need to listen.”

“I have a question. What if she calls me?” Mr. Metz persisted. “That’s what happened last time, and they didn’t do anything about it.”

Justice Rana asked him what he was doing for a living, and he said he was working in landscaping but was currently out of work. “It’s cold out there,” he said.

“Do you wish to be heard in regards to bail?” she asked. “Yes,” the defendant responded, “I don’t have any money. I have no problem with the court, but I have no bail.”

Justice Rana pointed out that one charge was a felony, and set bail at $500. “This is considered a felony?” the handcuffed defendant asked, shaking his head. He then flexed his back, back and forth, swearing. “That bed messed my back up,” he began.

Mr. Metz was due to be back in court yesterday. Under state law, if a grand jury had not indicted him by then, he would be released.

The new town justice, Steven Tekulsky, presided over his first arraignment on Saturday, though it was not the defendant’s first appearance in Justice Court. Guy Tibbetts, 31, had been arrested three times in recent weeks, stemming in part from violations of orders of protection. The most recent arrest reportedly occurred after he refused to be fitted with a global-positioning bracelet.

The holder of the protective orders, his wife, Justina Tibbetts, who was in the courtroom with his mother, said afterward that she wanted the orders modified. The couple have two young children, she said, and “it’s really difficult not to speak to each other.”

“We haven’t had an argument between the both of us for months,” she said.

“Nobody is helping them,” Mr. Tibbetts’s mother said on her way out of the courtroom. “They need counseling.”

Justice Tekulsky set bail at $1,000 cash or $5,000 bond. The bond was posted later that day.

About the Author

T.E. McMorrow began freelancing for The Star in 2009, before coming on staff, full time, at the end of 2011. He is a member of the Drama Desk in New York. His book, “Nutcracker in Harlem,” illustrated by James Ransome, is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2017 by HarperCollins children’s division.